Esercitazione per la prova di idoneità linguistica INGLESE B1 - Test B
Informazione: questa esercitazione non è una simulazione della prova ma serve solamente a dare
un’idea della tipologia di esercizi della sezione di ‘reading comprehension’.
PART 1: Reading Comprehension.
Some forms of pollution are easier than others to legislate for. Polluted air can be traced back to
shoddy industrial standards, polluted water to nefarious dumping. Noise is a bit different: everybody
causes it and everybody has ideas about what constitutes too much of it.
Nevertheless, the European Commission is to try to bring relief to those disturbed by the daily assault
on their eardrums, whether it be by jet aircraft, road traffic, loud music or inconsiderate neighbours.
On 24 March the Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de l'Environnement is holding a conference in
which speakers from around Europe, including Brussels, Berlin, Lille and London, will be invited to
talk about the problem of noise.
Xavier Bonnefoy, an adviser for the World Health Organisation, based in Copenhagen, believes it will
be an uphill task. "The noise problem has been neglected in the past," she said.
The Commission's green paper claims that environmental noise, caused by traffic, industrial and
recreational activities, is one of the main local problems in Europe and the source of a growing
number of complaints from the public.
"Noise is the third environmental priority of European Union citizens after traffic and air pollution, but
there has been a complete lack of action," said a spokesman for the Commission's environment
directorate. "One reason is that it is not possible to see the effects of noise: you can't see it or feel it.
But this is a chance for noise to be put higher up the agenda."
The Commission would like to find a common way of collecting noise data across Europe, plot the
decibel levels on a map and then look at ways of helping cities bring down levels. "We need to be
able to compare noise levels," said the spokesman. "Then we could see trends, with some cities
coping with the problem and others not."
Scegliere la risposta più adatta (barrare la risposta considerata corretta)
1. (a) Air and water pollution are easier to demonstrate than noise pollution.
(b) There is general agreement about what noise pollution is.
(c) Because we all contribute to noise pollution, it is easier to decide on legislation.
2. (a) Noisy neighbours are a minor problem.
(b) The European Commission wants to help noise pollution sufferers.
(c) The European Commission believes that air traffic and road transport are major causes of
air pollution.
3. (a) Xavier Bonnefoy believes that the Brussels conference will not have an easy job.
(b) The Brussels conference will probably be very boring.
(c) The Brussels conference will discuss the problem of noise worldwide.
